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Eric Cantor says he'll leave Congress August 18

Departing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has announced he will leave Congress on August 18th. In his farewell speech, Cantor stressed the importance of education reform and U.S. leadership abroad.
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WASHINGTON — Departing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said he will quit Congress altogether in August, ending a once-promising political career in a bid to give his successor a chance for an early turn in office.

"I want to make sure that the constituents in the 7th District will have a voice in what will be a very consequential lame-duck session," he told the newspaper in a story published late Thursday.

Cantor had originally said he would serve out his term until the end of the 113th Congress. But in his interview, he said he wanted to give his successor in the 7th District a jump and had asked Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to call a special election that would coincide with the Nov. 4 general election.

The interview published hours after Cantor gave his farewell address Thursday as majority leader, a job he had held since 2011. He was shockingly turned out of office by Virginia voters in a June 10 primary, when he lost renomination to economics professor Dave Brat in the Richmond-based district he was first elected to in 2000.

The election defeat was a surprising turn for Cantor, who once was considered a likely speaker of the House.

Brat, a Tea Party supporter, is favored to win in the GOP-dominant 7th District. He faces Democrat Jack Trammell, who also teaches at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. In his newspaper interview, Cantor gave his endorsement to Brat -- who had launched his campaign with the idea of becoming the veteran lawmaker's "term limit."

In a statement, Brat thanked Cantor for his service and endorsement. "Right now I'm focused on winning on Nov. 4," Brat said. "If I'm fortunate enough to be chosen by the people of the Seventh District to be their next congressman, I'll come to the office on Nov. 5 ready to serve."

Cantor's remarks earlier in the day were filled with gratitude and touches of humility, He thanked his colleagues and staff. He also sent good wishes to Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, his close friend, who inherits a big to-do list when Congress returns from its August recess.

"This is a privilege of a lifetime," Cantor said, as his speech was interrupted by applause. He was honored with a standing ovation by Republicans and Democrats at the end.

Cantor reflected on how the grandson of immigrants who fled religious persecution in Europe came to represent what was once part of James Madison's House seat. He repeated his call for overhauling education policy, calling the fight for school choice the "civil rights issue of our time," and talked about the need for America to restore its leadership abroad.

He thanked friends such as McCarthy and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan. Cantor also paid tribute to Speaker John Boehner, with whom he was sometimes at odds as they led the House. Boehner, presiding over the chamber for Cantor's farewell, chocked back tears as the Virginia lawmaker spoke.

"Thank you for the example of firm leadership," Cantor said, "and at the same time for not being afraid to show us all your kind heart and your soft spot from time to time."

The new GOP leadership team headed by McCarthy will be faced with big challenges and little time when lawmakers return after Labor Day. There will be only 12 days remaining on the House's legislative schedule when lawmakers return, and it is shaping up to be a combative agenda.

The House delayed its departure for the August recess to resolve a dispute over an emergency spending bill to stem the flow of undocumented minors along the southwest U.S. border. Boehner and the GOP leadership team pulled the legislation on Thursday to work out differences with conservatives -- a move that plunged the House into chaos and marred the leadership transition.

A divided House and Senate must also come to terms on a stop-gap funding bill to keep the government running after Sept. 30. The two chambers are also embroiled in a debate over how and whether to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, which has divided the Republican Party's traditional allies in the business community and a new crop of conservatives who see the entity as an affront to the free market.